Rep. Noem: Keystone Pipeline Is 'Right for America'

Rep. Kristi Noem says she believes Canada will sign an agreement to sell China oil if the United States does not reverse the Obama administration’s position to block construction of the Keystone pipeline. The South Dakota Republican also told Fox News Wednesday that a bill introduced in the House by Rep. Connie Mack to override the decision and build the pipeline is “right for America.”

Fox News’ Neil Cavuto noted that Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper is in China working on new agreements on energy and technology and asked Noem whether the Mack bill might thwart accords that could be detrimental to America’s already moribund economy.

Noem said the House bill has considerable support — but how it will fare in the Senate is another issue.

“It will exercise our authority under the Constitution, Article 1, Section 8, that says: ‘Hey, Congress can approve this and we can go forward’ — and if the president wants to make a campaign decision, go ahead, but we are going to do what is right for America,” Noem said. “Who knows about the Senate? I don’t know what the Senate is going to do today, tomorrow, or next week.

“That is why we need new members in the Senate that will turn it around,” she said. “But I do believe so in the House, yes, absolutely,” adding she does not blame Hunter for trying to sell Canadian oil elsewhere.

“Well, I believe that the Canadian prime minister truly cares about Canada and is going to make sure that it’s more stable and its economy is doing well and so I do believe that it would sign that agreement with China to utilize their oil exports,” Noem said. “We, unfortunately, have a leader that makes a different decision. We really need those thousands of jobs it would have brought; we need to lower our energy costs — people need lower gas prices — and so hopefully we didn`t miss the boat on this one.”